MSNCT round 12 wrote:This story's narrator hears noises that resemble those described in an "antique volume" titled "The Mad Trist." Madeline emerges from her tomb after being buried alive in this story, whose title (*) structure eventually collapses into a "tarn." For 10 points--name this story by Edgar Allan Poe.

MSNCT round 6 wrote:In 2003 this man broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for career scoring in the All-Star game while playing for the Wizards. He hit a shot over Bryon Russell to lead his team over Utah in the (*) 1998 NBA finals. For 10 points--name this six-time NBA champion as a guard for the Chicago Bulls.

MSNCT round 9 wrote:In the 1990s this NBA team led by center Hakeem Olajuwon won two championships. Currently it is led by former Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard James Harden and 2013 free agent acquisition (*) Dwight Howard. For 10 points--name this NBA team whose home city is on the Gulf Coast of Texas.

MSNCT round 8 wrote:He was forced to withdraw from the 1988 Democratic presidential primaries after it was discovered that he plagiarized a speech by British politician Neil Kinnock. In 1972 he was elected to the Senate from (*) Delaware. For 10 points--name this current vice president.

MSNCT round 18 wrote:A Daily News cartoon called this man a "Cry Baby" after he led a 1995 government shutdown. A year earlier, he helped the GOP gain 54 seats in the House with his "Contract with America". (*) For 10 points--what former Georgia Representative won the 2012 Republican South Carolina primary?

MSNCT round 10 wrote:The Pharrell Williams song "Happy" was released on the soundtrack of this sequel, which features a character that uses a lipstick taser. Steve (*) Carell reprises his role as Gru in--for 10 points--what 2013 film which sees the return of small yellow henchmen called minions?

MSNCT round 11 wrote:The central part of this river joins with the Ubangi River. Lake Tanganyika is one source of this river, which widens at the (*) Malebo Pool before its passes through Brazzaville, a capital of a namesake nation. For 10 points--name this river of Central Africa.

Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN) wrote:This was only my second time ever reading at the middle school level, but I actually found many of the questions to be rather difficult, for example, a leadin about TORCH in placenta that my scorekeeper noted was something he learned in med school.

TORCH infections and IgG can cross this organ, but IgM cannot. It secretes hormones to maintain the endometrial lining, and deoxygenated blood reaches it via the (*) umbilical arteries. For 10 points--name this temporary organ that forms on the uterine wall and nourishes a developing fetus.

The clues on antibodies were probably a bit much, too.

While we're at it, I'd also like feedback on the bio questions I wrote for this set:

MSNCT round 12 wrote:This event continued despite an "expedition" led by Edward Hobart Seymour. The Eight Nation Alliance put down this event, which occurred during the rule of Empress Dowager Cixi and began in (*) 1899. For 10 points--name this anti-foreign uprising in China led by a society of "harmonious fists."

At a minimum, we would want to make sure that middle school coaches and players wanted to see changes in our policy toward math questions. (We haven't finished tabulating the surveys from MSNCT yet; policy change for all 2014-15 tournaments is something to discuss after the 2014 HSNCT is concluded.)